Checkmate
by KatAang32
Summary: Azula would do ANYTHING to be next in line for the throne. Pro-bending Round 2 Entry. *Please Review*


**Pro-bending Heading**

 **A/N: This story serves as my Round 2 entry for season 2 of the Pro-bending Circut Competition.**

 **My Main Prompt: Knight - This piece is the only piece that can jump over other pieces and moves three spaces in an L shape every time. Task: Write about someone who is willing to jump over others to get what they want.**

 **My Additional Prompts: (dialogue) "Checkmate", (character) Zuko, (Word restrictions) 1324 Words**

 **Word Count: 1324**

Zuko stomped angrily down the hall, he had just left the throne room where his father had congratulated him for killing the Avatar; Azula had told him the whole story about how Zuko killed the Avatar and captured the traitor Iroh. "I didn't hit the Avatar, Azula did… Why did Azula tell him I did it? What game is she playing!?" He said to himself. As soon as he got to his sisters bedroom door he yanked them open as hard as he could, a loud band rang threw the hall as the doors hit the walls.

"Why'd you do it?!" He hollered at her, she was lying in bed.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific." Azula said, her tone was eerily calm.

"Why did you tell Father I killed the Avatar?" He shouted again.

"I'm trying to sleep, can't this wait till morning?" Azula told him.

"No!" Zuko yelled at his sister. "I want to know right now!"

"Fine," She sat up and rolled her eyes, "you were so worried about how Father would treat you since you hadn't captured the Avatar. I thought I'd be nice and give you the credit."

"Why?" He demanded.

"Call it generosity, I wanted to thank you for your help and I was happy to share the glory." Azula told him.

"You're lying!" He snapped at her.

"If you say so." Sighed

"You have another motive for doing this!" He growled, "I just haven't figured out what it is."

"Please, Zuko." He sighed innocently, "What ulterior motive could I have? What could I gain by letting you get all the glory of defeating the Avatar?" The then fifteen year old girl's face morphed into a devious smile. "Unless somehow… The Avatar is actually alive. All that glory would suddenly turn to shame and foolishness." The girl's innocent smile came back. "But you said yourself that was impossible. Sleep well, Zuzu."

Zuko was too angry with his sister to go to bed so he decided to go for a walk, to clear his mind and try to relax. His mind wandered to that beautiful blue-eyed peasant water tribe girl, Katara. He had a girlfriend but Katara haunted his thoughts all the time, but in the last few weeks he found himself thinking about her even more… and that tiny vile of special spirit water she told him could probably take his scar away. He had a sick feeling in his stomach and a nagging thought in the back of his mind. Could she have used that water to save the Avatar? He walked all the way to the prison where his uncle was being held, he wanted to talk to Uncle so bad but he knew he that if he visited his uncle it would get back to his sister or his father; and right now he couldn't afford that.

He turned back around and began the long walk back to the palace. He couldn't afford to be made a fool of by Azula; he decided to find an assassin to hunt down the Avatar and his friends and kill them all.

…

Everything was just perfect for Zuko. Being back home, sitting at his father's right hand. But it all feels so wrong, he was so conflicted inside. He was angry and he didn't know why, the only person that he could ask for guidance never said a word to him.

One night Zuko received a message on a scroll, when heat was applied to it there was a special message directing him to find out how his great grandfather died. He did as the message said, the only thing he learned was that his great grandfather Sozin was friends with Avatar Roku.

Zuko knew exactly who sent the scroll to him, he went to talk to the old man in his cell. For the first time since he was in prison Uncle Iroh talked to him. "Yes, Zuko Fire Lord Sozin is your father's grandfather, But Avatar Roku was your Mother's Grandfather. You are not doomed to follow in your father's father's line you also have good in you." The old man told him.

Zuko's mind was at war with itself, he realized now that his destiny was not to follow in his father's footsteps. He knew that his destiny was to become Avatar Aang's firebending master, to stop this stupid war, to end the tyranny and oppression the Fire Nation had inflicted upon the world. To join the Avatar and his friends to bring peace and healing to the world.

…

Today was the day of black sun and Zuko finally told his father exactly what he thought of him, of the Fire Nation, and how the rest of the world thought of them. Zuko ran as fast as he could to the balloon he had prepped for his getaway. Zuko knew the only chance to get away was to leave when all the other War Balloons were taking off. He wasn't exactly sure where to find the Avatar and his friends, by sheer luck, which was very rare for him, he saw the Avatar's Sky Bison airbend himself into the air heading north. Zuko set a course to follow, he made sure to keep his distance. Zuko sat down and leaned against the basket of the balloon, he needed to figure out what to do next.

 **...**

"Father I can't find Zuko anywhere! Could those people that attacked the capital have kidnapped him?" Azula asked, pretending to be worried about her older brother.

"No Azula, he left, he left our family, and he left our great nation. You, Azula, are now the heir to the throne." The Fire Lord told his daughter. "Am charging you with a task my daughter, I want you to find him and bring him back here…" Ozai's lips curled into a wicked smile, "Dead or alive!"

"Yes Father, I will do as you ask." Azula quickly left her father's throne room. "Checkmate Zuzu, I'm the heir to throne now!"

…

Azula was reading through military reports when Mai found her. "Guess Who I just got a messenger hawk from?"

"Mai, I don't have time for silly guessing games, I need to find my traitor brother." Azula snapped at her.

"Well fine I guess it doesn't matter that my uncle sent me a message saying Zuko is at Boiling Rock right now." "Mai said as monotone as usual as she walked out of the room.

"WAIT! Zuko is at the Boiling Rock?!" Azula was delighted by this news. "Where's Ty Lee, it looks like we have a trip to ready ourselves for."

Mai didn't know Ozai had given Azula permission to kill her brother if she saw fit. To make sure there was no way for Zuzu to reclaim his place as next on the throne she saw it very fit to kill him.

…

"Azula, my daughter." Princess Ursa said from the reflection in the mirror. "You know you can't treat you friends like this. You have to be nice no matter how mad they make you."

"You always thought I was a monster! You never loved me! Why are you even here now?" Azula told her.

"I love you so much, and I always have. I am here because you want me to be here." Ursa told her.

"LIES! You always lie to me. Zuzu was always your favorite!" Azula screamed at the mirror. "If I can't trust you who can I trust?"

"I never lied to you once, you are my beautiful baby girl, and I will never stop loving you." Ursa said in a soothing voice.

"You want Zuzu to be Fire Lord not me! Well it's too late Mother, he abandoned our nation! He is no better than our traitor uncle Iroh! He will never rule the Fire Nation! It will be ME!" Azula snapped at the mirror. "NOW. GO. AWAY!"


End file.
